Publishers Weekly
Angel (Such a Pretty Face), an admitted Joplin fan, pens a fast-paced biography of the iconic singer's short life and tragic demise with an undercurrent of homage. Over 10 chapters, the dichotomous nature of the 1960s star emerges--as a self- destructive, renegade rocker and an insecure, attention-craving young woman--and readers come away with a good sense of both. Evocative writing describes Joplin's world: from her struggles in her confining Texas hometown to the San Francisco hippie scene and her performances. "Her voice purred and rose in a wail that sent shivers through the crowd. She swung her hair and stomped her foot, moaning.... And then her voice escalated in a keening scream." Personal photographs, album covers, and playbills flesh out Joplin's life story (b&w photographs show a young Joplin in a church choir and elementary school operetta, while a later image depicts the singer, a breast bared, in bed with partially nude bandmates). Recalling motifs from that era, curlicue graphics overlay vivid colors to create vertical borders. A time line, source notes, bibliography, and index conclude this tribute to a complicated pioneer. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)
Children's Literature
- Jennifer Waldrop
Janis Joplin: Rise up Singing is a beautiful tribute to the legendary singer who died in October 1970, forty years before this biography was published. Despite her music career barely spanning three years, her legacy has clearly lived on, as evidenced by the 128 pages of photographs, letters, and interviews with her friends contained within this book. The story of Janis Joplin, while not unfamiliar to older generations, is a vivid cautionary tale for younger readers who are discovering her story for the first time. Even those familiar with Janis Joplin will be interested in the interviews and photographs that accompany her life story. The book, while engrossing, could stand to be slightly less repetitive, for instance the first chapter, "Spreading Her Wings," and the second chapter, "Out of Port Arthur," both recount her childhood and the various ways in which she did not fit in. Overall, however, it is a great read. Reviewer: Jennifer Waldrop
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up—It was 40 years ago this October that the rock singer died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs at the age of 27. From interviews with her friends and letters that Joplin wrote home, Angel pieces together her subject's short life, contrasting her conservative upbringing in a small Texas town with the wild 1960s, vividly portrayed both in descriptions and in excellent-quality, full-color and black-and-white photos on almost every page. Joplin's husky, passionate singing voice was appreciated by other musicians and by her audiences. She loved to sing the blues with the misery and pain that dominated the lyrics. Bessie Smith and Odetta were her heroines. The author points out that despite the fame and fortune that she achieved, Joplin was basically insecure and in need of acceptance. This book is well researched with more than 100 notes referring to specific quotes from friends, family, and magazines. Teens will be intrigued by the life of this cult figure. Her memory has been kept alive by her recordings and an off-Broadway show, Love, Janis, based on letters she wrote to family and friends during her career, which continues to be staged throughout the country.—Peggy Fleming, formerly at Churchville-Chili High School, Churchville, NY
Kirkus Reviews
At the time when wholesome singers like Debbie Boone were on the radio, girls from Janis Joplin's hometown of Port Arthur, Texas, were expected to marry their high-school boyfriends. Joplin, however, preferred to draw and listen to folk and blues music. Pursuing a life of freedom and art, Joplin traveled from Texas to California, where she nursed her talent and carved out a life as a singer. Joplin was intelligent, honest and a bold pioneer for women in music, but she was also devastatingly insecure, a trait that contributed to her drug addiction and death by overdose. Angel showcases the rise of hippie culture and how its ideals of creative expression appealed to Joplin. Quotes from Joplin's loved ones and photographs (both color and black-and-white) chronicling her life are set against geometric designs in '60s psychedelic colors, which add interest and appeal without distracting. Young music buffs will gain an understanding of Joplin's place in pop culture and how, even with her career cut short, she paved the way for today's female rock musicians. (Biography. 14 & up)
